Book review

The proliferation of mass media during the mid-twentieth century highlighted the brewing conflict between nascent conservatism and consensus liberalism in American politics. Historian Nicole Hemmer’s 2016 book, Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics, examines how conservative activists contributed to the right-wing movement by harnessing the political power of media activism. The recent historiography of conservatism has focused on non-governmental actors like free market think tanks, grassroots organizations and religious leaders. Within this conversation, Hemmer’s monograph demonstrates that the first generation of right-wing media – a group she calls ‘media activists’ – is crucial to understanding the rise of modern conservatism. Hemmer’s overarching argument evinces that conservative media activists played a critical role in the formation and propagation of modern conservatism. Media leaders – notably Henry Regnery, William F. Buckley Jr., William Rusher and Clarence Manion – presented themselves as the conservative response to the preponderance of postwar liberalism. Far from bit players, Hemmer asserts, the right-wing media in fact transformed the political landscape by popularizing the idea of liberal media bias, defining conservatives as an oppressed © 2017, John S. Huntington • This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited • DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.ra.2017.v2.1.014.


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.^ly treats of the beginnings of the present system. The book ? Mainly a reprint of an address given by Dr. Hack Tuke at a eeting at the York Retreat on May 6th, 1892, to celebrate its entenary, under the better title of " A Retrospective Glance at e e Early History of the Retreat, York; its Objects and Influnce." This address was printed in the Journal of Mental Science, *892. The book in addition contains an account of the Celebration " from the Yorkshire Herald, as well as of the s nnual Meeting of the Medico-Psychological Society, held bsequently at the Retreat in connection with the centenary ?July 21st, 1892. The work shows how a more thoughtful u kindty method of care and treatment of the insane under ^ at difficulties and much opposition was inaugurated at York y Mr. William Tuke, "a philanthropic citizen of York," and a a ^ber of the Society of Friends, who was greatly shocked distressed at the treatment he saw carried out at York sylum and elsewhere; when, as was commonly the case in arn P*aces at the time, the treatment was of a very barbarous, r ^ often cruel, character. In many cases the patients were Q ened w*th heavy chains to the wall or floor, to which fre-^ ently were attached balls or weights of many pounds. They re bedded in straw in wooden troughs, and lived in the ^eatest filth and dreadful pain and wretchedness. In the an a*a niore humane and gentle method was at once indurated. This has commonly been called the "Non-restraint abrm"' kut ^ must be remembered that restraint was not oiished, only that when used, it was used with great dis-^ ^nation, in a proper and simple form, and only for urgent and ^i^Serous cases. The Retreat at York no doubt had a very Uj ? influence in introducing the present gentle and kindly nods now in use; and also the use of a stimulating in place f0r a depressing medical treatment. We must not, however, in giving due honour to the Tukes and Dr. Conolly, that tre ^e^Vest, even before 1792, Dr prolix, and perhaps hardly worth publication ; but, considering the little use made of hypnotic suggestion in the treatment 0 chronic alcoholism, the paper will be useful in redirecting attefl* tion to a therapeutic measure of distinct service in maO; cases.
It is obvious that this method has advantages over residence in a " retreat," in that it does not dislocate famn), life, and has no " tendency to make a man an incurable loafer (to use a patient's expression), and it might well be tried before resorting to such an expedient. As might have been expected* the author finds that suggestion during hypnosis " succeed especially in cases of acquired alcoholism without any hereditary tendency when the subject is desirous of cure but lacks the W*1 power to take the initial step." It is, of course, readily a?' mitted that in perhaps half the number of cases cure or amel1* oration by hypnotic suggestion is impossible, for if there be desire to be cured, suggestion cannot strengthen it, and can t>u rarely produce such a tendency.
Advice to Women on the Care of Health before, during and Confinement. By Florence Stacpoole. Pp. 134. London* Cassell & Company. 1892.?Not the least of the suffering which a woman in her first pregnancy has to undergo is **1, ill-timed conversation of her acquaintances, who too often $ her mind with vivid pictures of dreadful things which are n at all likely to happen. She will be saved much distress if ^11, will turn a deaf ear to information of this sort, and be guio?j by the sensible directions she will find in this booklet, ^llCJ notwithstanding the inclusion of one or two things that w?Ui have been better left out, we have no hesitation in recomnien ing. There is an amusing misprint of " naval " cord.
Our Sick: and How to Take Care of Them. By FlorE1^ The friends of a sick person are usually a long time learning temper their affectionate devotion with intelligence, but ?f. laf, years there has been ground for believing that there is conside ^ able improvement in this respect. It is not given to every0 { to employ or to endure a trained nurse. This little book is Ju. the thing to guide into right paths those upon whom conies work of nursing their friends.
How to Give Gas. By T. E. Constant. Pp. 36. Londo^ J. P. Segg & Co. (n.d.)?This is a short and thoroug practical account of the best mode of administering n^r?0t oxide by one who has evidently had experience. We can*1^ quite agree with the author when he says that the gasometer only a relic of the time when it was customary for dentists ?. Manufacture their own gas, and that the method of administering it direct from the gas-bottle with the intervention ?* a bag is in every way better. Upon the whole, however, the aUthor's suggestions and advice are thoroughly to be relied on. pathology, and treatment of intermittent fever, remittent fever* and blackwater fever?the three great varieties of malariaj fever met with in the Niger territory. An important and practical part of Mr. Crosse's book will be found in the pre" cautions which he advises to be adopted by persons who are residing or who intend to reside in this part of tropical Africa- The book has neither a table of contents nor an index.
Transactions of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. Vol. X* Dublin: Fannin & Co. 1892.?This volume is a record much useful and interesting work in all departments of medicine and surgery, and is well worthy of careful study. Of the 243 Fellows as many as 45 have given contributions, which amount to fifty in number. Three ipapers on enteric fever and its treatment embody the most recent views on this important top*0' and some recent aids to the diagnosis and treatment of disease5 of the stomach are well described.

Ophthalmic Atlas. By Frank Haydon. London: Do^
Bros.?This affords a very convenient way of recording path0,' logical conditions of the fundus by means of superimpose^ layers of colour. The plates represent the optic disc and ^ orange-red fundus, with retinal arteries and veins ramifyin? upon it. By careful scratching with a penknife, any part of the vessels may be obliterated without interference with the orange' red reflex. A more energetic use of the knife will expose the black layer which lies underneath, and thus pigmentation ca^ be depicted, while deeper still is a white layer, by exposifltj.
which the sclera is represented as it appears in states 0 atrophied choroid.
Inflnenza. By Julius Althaus, M.D. Second edition. xii.?407. London : Longmans & Co. 1892.?This truly e* haustive work has well drained the literature of the subjef ' the mere bibliography and index extend over 44 pages. If1 1 profession should be much indebted to the author for his caret analysis of so immense a mass, in many languages, on a subje ^ in which everyone takes more or less interest. He proposes theory which appears to explain satisfactorily? disease will be protracted, and complications will follow, and of an antidote formed in the serum of the patient called anti-grippo-toxine. If the quantity of the latter be 1 small to neutralise all the toxine present, the course ?ff disease will be protracted, and complications will follow. these sequels are has been further described in the Magazine for March Fenwick on " The Pathology of Acute Perforating Ulc^r. > the Stomach," and by Mr. Hopkins " On the Estimation of \ Acid in the Urine." Dr. Fenwick criticises the time-honou alleged causes of acute perforating gastric ulcer?e.g. enibo^1 thrombosis, venous obstruction, punctiform hemorrhages?" j has little difficulty in shewing that it is most improbable ^ any one takes the least share in producing it. He then sugn that the cause is to be found in inflammation and necros^g the solitary glands which occur in the gastric wall. distribution of these lymphoid masses?i.e. more thickly stud a] in the pyloric region next the lesser curvature?and their disappearance in later life fit in well with this theory, however, labours under the difficulty that acute perf01"^. je5 ulcer is nearly always solitary, whereas the lymphoid jjjare many in number; and we still need to find out flammation of a lymphoid follicle occurs. Mr. Hopkins's pW0[ is a most valuable account of a method he has foun estimating uric acid in urine by precipitating it with amnio11. Q[ chloride?a method which is far less tedious than ^ Salkowski and much more accurate than Haycraft's. It apP -0jj very probable that this discovery will lead to a rapid extendi of our knowledge of the part played by this body in the an1 economy.